SnitchSeeker.com - J.K. Rowling teases Dumbledore, Grindelwald in 'Fantastic Beasts' 2, and future films

J.K. Rowling shed a bit of light - though not much - about what's to come in next month's release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, as well as the rest of the series.

Rowling voiced her joy on writing Dumbledore once again, her entire storyline for the five-part Fantastic Beasts film series, and the possibly many new cities to be explored in the third installment (which begins production next July).

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JK_Rowling</a> answers our burning questions about '<a href="https://twitter.com/FantasticBeasts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FantasticBea sts</a>: The Crimes of Grindelwald' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FantasticBeasts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"> #FantasticBeasts</a> <a href="https://t.co/QJHV8WYYVx">https://t.co/QJHV8WYYVx</a></p>— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) <a href="https://twitter.com/EW/status/1052183299769229313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Heading into Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, what do we need to know about the title character?
J.K. ROWLING: The first mention of Grindelwald is in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, so he has been part of the canon from the beginning. He was a very famous dark wizard whom Dumbledore defeated in 1945, a wizard who once owned the Elder Wand (as Voldemort did later). Although he remained rather mysterious in the Potter books, I had a very clear understanding of who Grindelwald was and what his story had been. Grindelwald is essential to an understanding of how Dumbledore became Dumbledore.

What has it been like writing dialogue for a younger version of Dumbledore?
ROWLING: It is no secret that Dumbledore is my favorite character in the Potter stories, so it was an absolute joy to have an opportunity to write dialogue for him again. He’s a fascinating character on so many levels.

How much of the three planned upcoming Beasts films do you have mapped out?
ROWLING: As with the Harry Potter books, it is all mapped out. In fact, when we announced the five films, I talked about that. It’s always possible that some details will change along the way, but the arc of the story is there. It’s been an amazing opportunity to tell parts of the backstory that never made it into the original books. I’m thinking particularly of one character that I think fans will be surprised to meet in this movie.

We’ve been told each Beasts film is set in a different city. Can you reveal one of the cities from one of the future movies?
ROWLING: It’s far too early to spoil anything. What I can say is that we’ll go to at least one new city in the next film, possibly two, and I’m keen to move outside Europe and North America. But you’ll just have to wait and see.

Pre-order tickets here for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald through Fandango.

Read SnitchSeeker's set visit breakdown of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, including the return to Hogwarts and London, and entering Paris's Wizarding world.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is the second of five all new adventures in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World™.

At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

The film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, Poppy Corby-Tuech, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling. The film is produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. Tim Lewis, Neil Blair, Rick Senat and Danny Cohen serve as executive producers.

The film reunites the behind-the-scenes creative team from the first “Fantastic Beasts” film, including Oscar-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot (“A River Runs Through It”), three-time Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“The English Patient,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Gandhi,” the “Harry Potter” films), four-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”), and Yates’ longtime editor Mark Day (the last four “Harry Potter” films). The music is by eight-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard (“Defiance,” “Michael Clayton,” “The Hunger Games” films).

Slated for release on November 16, 2018, the film will be distributed worldwide in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.

This film is rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action.